Ford steps up Taurus’ game

Ford says the 2010 Taurus is aimed at drivers who “place more of a premium on the driving experience and technologies.”

The push is on by Ford to raise consumer interest in its beautifully redesigned Taurus large sedan, which came to market in August as a 2010 model.

Television ads are popping up in connection with the new NFL season, with the Taurus being featured prominently on the “Ford Drive One Fox NFL Sunday Pregame Show.”

“Ford has always had a presence in football, but this season we’re putting the 2010 Taurus in the game,” Ford Marketing Director Matt VanDyke said.

“The all-new Taurus is changing the game for full-size sedans; we wanted to bring that excitement to the fans of one of the most passionate sporting events,” he said.

Ford unveiled the car to positive reviews at the Detroit auto show in January, and it marks the sixth generation of the vehicle that redefined the family sedan when it first was introduced for 1986.

This is the best iteration yet, and should prove that Ford was correct in reviving the Taurus line after quietly canceling it in late 2006.

Its death was short-lived, as new Ford CEO Alan Mulally ordered that the name be applied to a slightly redesigned version of the Ford Five Hundred sedan for 2008. The Five Hundred had been the key replacement for the Taurus.

The reworked Taurus/Five Hundred arrived for 2008, but now has been replaced by the 2010 model, which takes the Taurus to a new level of sophistication and performance. It’s also the largest Taurus yet.

This latest model received an all-new design and rides on a new chassis and, from the looks of it, might have what it takes to bring the once-proud Taurus name back to prominence.

It’s built on the same architecture as the recently introduced Lincoln MKS full-size sedan and, as a result, has the look and feel of a premium model.

While the MKS starts at a premium price, just under $39,000, the new Taurus begins at $25,170 (plus $825 freight) for the base SE model, the same as the 2009 model.

Base prices run as high as $37,170 for the performance-oriented SHO all-wheel-drive version, with the SEL ($27,170 with front-wheel drive or $29,020 with all-wheel drive) and Limited ($31,170 or $33,020) models in between.

A long list of premium options is offered, which can boost the midlevel models well into the $30,000s.

This car also offers a variety of high-tech features never seen on a Ford car, most of them derived from Ford’s premium brands, Lincoln and Volvo.

Among them are blind-spot monitoring, radar cruise control with advance collision warning, intelligent access with push-button start, automatic high beams, rain-sensing wipers, cross-traffic alerts (works when backing out of a parking space, warning whether there is a car approaching from either direction) and even a system that lets parents control certain functions of the car when their teenagers are driving (top speed, volume of the audio system, etc.).

The exterior design is quite striking, with the understated looks of a modern luxury car and no resemblance to the big boats that Detroit automakers have offered as premium vehicles in the past.

Features include new headlights, recessed parking lights and a new take on Ford’s three-bar grille. Standard are 17-inch wheels, but up to 20-inch wheels are offered.

Ford says the car is aimed at drivers who “place more of a premium on the driving experience and technologies” than on an appliance to move families around.

To that end, the car actually is fun to drive, which is quite unusual for a Ford family sedan. It rides and drives like a premium sedan — say, the Volvo S80 (upon which it’s based). Handling is quite sportlike, which was something of a surprise.

Under the hood of the SE, SEL and Limited models is Ford’s 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 engine, with 263 horsepower and 249 foot-pounds of torque. It’s connected to a six-speed automatic transmission; for a sportier driving feel, SEL and Limited models come with paddle shifters that allow for manual operation of the six-speed automatic.

Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is available on all but the base SE model. Front-drive models have EPA ratings of 18 mpg city/28 highway; for all-wheel drive, it’s 17/25.

The SHO model (stands for “super-high output”) comes with a twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter, EcoBoost V-6 engine rated at 365 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque, also connected to a six-speed automatic. EPA ratings for this one are 17 city/25 highway.

Inside, there is a whole new look as well, with a flowing dash design that Ford says “allows for the interior to be formed with unbroken lines to impart seamless quality and craftsmanship.” It includes door panels made with a new process that gives the interior a handcrafted look.

There is room for five, and everyone rides in comfort. The front bucket seats are about as comfortable as a favorite living room recliner, and the rear seat can hold three adults with no complaints.

Features include an optional voice-operated navigation system; the Ford/Microsoft SYNC audio system, which allows for voice control of an attached iPod and/or cell phone; and a 390-watt Sony Surround Sound audio system.

While the current Taurus already was considered to be one of the safest cars on the road, the new one comes with a variety of innovative safety features, including a stiffer body structure and the new crash-avoidance technology.

Ford hopes the new Taurus will be as groundbreaking as the original model, which was the best-selling car in the United States from 1992-96.

During its heydays in the ’90s, before a controversial redesign for 1997 put the brakes on, the Taurus accounted for more than 400,000 sales a year. The Toyota Camry beat the Taurus for the top spot in 1997, and the car’s sales have fallen dramatically since then. In 2008, just 52,667 were sold.